In general, it is possible to automatically join (apply) a variable number of plastic cards, e.g. thick plastic cards, type CR-80, to card carriers by means of known systems. The card carriers having applied thereto the plastic cards are then packed into envelopes, e.g. in an enveloping station, and they are either deposited in a scale-like mode of arrangement or subjected to further treatment, such as sorting or encircling by a plastic strip.
In a known method and in a known apparatus, presorted and personalized plastic cards are applied to presorted and personalized card carriers. The term "personalized" means in this context that the plastic card and the card carrier, respectively, have already been provided with the necessary data, such as name, address etc. The card carriers can in this case be supplied from a stack of continuous sheets or from a stack of single sheets.
In FIG. 2, a known apparatus is shown for applying plastic cards and card carriers. The apparatus is designated generally by reference numeral 200.
In this known apparatus, the plastic cards are contained in a turret means 202 comprising four magazines 204. From said turret means 202, individual plastic cards 206 are discharged and supplied to a reader 208. The supply of the individual cards to the various stations takes place via so-called stop points 210 at which the cards stop until a signal arrives from a subsequent station, said signal indicating that said subsequent station is ready to receive the card.
In the reader 208, an identification number (ID number) of the plastic card 206 is read. A processing means 212 detects and stores said identification number. The plastic card 206 is then guided to an application means 214 via a plurality of stop points 210. Prior to supplying the plastic card 206 to the application means 214, said plastic card may be provided with a gummed label at a station 216 so as to guarantee the subsequent connection to the card carrier.
The card carrier is supplied from a second direction (arrow 218), which does not correspond to the direction in which the plastic card 206 is supplied to the application means 214.
The card carrier is contained in a stack 220 which comprises the card carriers in a presorted form. As has been described hereinbefore, the card carriers have already been provided with the relevant data, e.g. the name and the address of the person receiving the card.
From said stack 220, the card carrier is supplied to a reader 222, which reads an identification number printed on said card carrier. This identification number is compared (arrow 224) with the identification number of the card occupying the last stop point prior to the application means 214. If the identification numbers correspond, the plastic card and the card carrier will be connected.
In this known apparatus 200, all components are controlled by the same system clock, i.e. the number of strokes elapsing until a plastic card reaches the application means 214 after the detection of the identification number at 208 is known, so that, depending on this known transit time, the supply of the card carriers from the stack 220 and the examination of the identification numbers can be controlled such that the card carrier will arrive at the application means 214 at the same time as the plastic card 206 belonging to this card carrier.
One disadvantage of this known apparatus is to be seen in the fact that, for the purpose of associating the respective card carrier with a complementary plastic card, it is necessary that the identification number is printed on said card carrier.
In contrast to the plastic card where the identification number and additional personal data are stored e.g. in a magnetic strip, i.e. they are not easily discernable from outside, these additional personal data are visibly printed on the printed card carrier. This is disadvantageous especially with regard to the necessary data privacy.